Since early 2015, the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region has faced widespread food shortages owing to the worst drought in 35 years which was exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon. Two consecutive failed rainy seasons have left 13.8 million people in need of emergency food assistance.

The current rainfall season has been the driest in the last 35 years across several parts of the Southern Africa Region. Two consecutive below-average rainy seasons have significantly impacted crop and livestock production, cereal prices, water availability, and livelihoods.

Food and nutrition security in the region also remains extremely fragile, with the situation expected to worsen. Overall, 28 million people are estimated to be at risk of food insecurity.

The region is extremely vulnerable to weather hazards such as tropical cyclones, floods, droughts and strong winds.

There is lack of resilience and coping mechanisms to the climate-related shocks, which results in heavy social and economic consequences for the population. Improving the local communities' resilience capacities remains central to the EU’s humanitarian assistance.

• Heavy rains resulted in the overflowing of river Palmital in São Paulo state on 12 January.

• As of 14 January (national news agency): twelve dead and eight missing in the municipality of Itaóca, over 300 people displaced, power and transportation networks damaged and 100 houses affected (19 of which destroyed); 50 homes damaged by floods in the town of Apiaí.

• As of 15 January (INMET), heavy rains may still affect parts of São Paulo state in the next 24 h.
National Media (1, 2), INMET, NOAA

27/03/2013 - Heavy rains have pounded Southern African countries resulting in widespread flooding, destruction of property, and loss of lives. The floods took place in the midst of the lean season, in a situation of acute food insecurity affecting millions of people through the region. In Mozambique, the worst hit country, more than 250,000 people, mostly women and children, are affected by the crisis with about 190,000 temporary displaced since January 2013. Malawi, Botswana, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe have also been affected by the floods.

In early 2012, the repartition of the budget between the Humanitarian Aid Budget Line and the Food Aid Budget Line was reconsidered in order to fund the Actions' proposals which were submitted to DG ECHO. A transfer of EUR 0.5 million from the Humanitarian Aid Budget Line to the Food Aid Budget Line was decided. The total allocation of the HIP remained at EUR 10 million with EUR 6.5 million from the Humanitarian Aid Budget Line and EUR 3.5 million from the Food Aid Budget Line.

The activities proposed hereafter are still subject to the adoption of the financing decision ECHO/WWD/BUD/2012/01000

1 . CONTEXT

Over the past 50 years there have been significant population movements throughout the Great Lakes region and in and out of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), largely as a result of the Rwandan genocide, the conflict in Burundi and the instability over the past 50 years in many parts of DRC. As a consequence these countries in the Great Lakes region host a total refugee population of 374,700:

Brussels, 15 December 2009 - The
European Commission approved the first financing decisions in favour of
eleven African and two Caribbean countries for a total of € 230 million,
including € 215 million under the so-called Vulnerability FLEX mechanism
(V-FLEX).

The Food Facility is the EU's €1 billion
response to the food crisis, targeting the transition period from emergency
aid to longer-term development. Set up in close collaboration with the
UN Secretary-General's High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security
Crisis it focuses on programmes that will have a quick, but lasting impact
on food security.

Having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership
Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000, in particular Article 72 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC)
No 617/2007 of 14 May 2007 on the implementation of the 10th European Development
Fund under the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, in particular Article 8 thereof(1)

Whereas:

(1) The peace process in the Democratic
Republic of Congo is now largely well established and democratic elections
were successfully carried …

Brussels, 5 March 2009 - The European
Commission will provide a total of €247 million in humanitarian aid to
vulnerable people in twelve African countries. The following allocations
are to be made: Sudan - €110 million; Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- €45 million; Chad - €30 million; Burundi and refugees in Tanzania
- €20 million; the Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger)
- €13 million; Uganda - €12 million; Zimbabwe - €5.5 million and
Kenya - €3 million. An additional €8.5 million are for ECHO Flight,
a special humanitarian air service.

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC,
Euratom) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid , and in
particular Article 2(a) and Article 13 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Eight countries of the southern African
region have been reporting cholera cases since the last quarter of 2008,
with the largest outbreaks in Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and particularly
Zimbabwe ;

Brussels, 29 March 2006 - The
European Commission has allocated €2.2 million to reduce the cumulative
effects of drought and HIV/AIDS on vulnerable people in Zambia. Up to two
million people face food shortages in the country's drought-affected southern
and western regions. Commission-funded humanitarian operations in Zambia
specifically aim to prevent the situation of vulnerable groups, like households
headed by children or grandparents, deteriorating further.